Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Ahmed Shiyam has stated that looking at the arrangements made in the first year, the manifesto, and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s Presidential Address, it is clear that the Maldivian fishing industry will be taken to another level and develop many times over. Speaking at the Ministers’ Forum, Shiyam said that even in the difficult situation the country faced, President Muizzu brought good arrangements in the first year to diversify and develop the fishing industry. He added that the President has brought an order on how to find funds and do these things, and this year will be the year of implementation.
“As we begin to implement this year, all presidents have said that we cannot benefit by exporting raw fish from the Maldives. All presidents know this. Some presidents say [fish] should be canned. Some presidents say we need to add value, increase processing capacity. We all, all governments, accept this. However, we are on a culture for achieving political goals.” Shiyam said.
Shiyam said that previously, the money available for the development of the Maldivian fishing industry was given as subsidies. He said that the biggest benefit from subsidies is not to Maldivians. Shiyam said that the biggest benefit from subsidies goes to foreign fishing companies. Shiyam said that when fish priced at 17 rufiyaa is raised to 25 rufiyaa, about 13 rufiyaa is given as a subsidy, and for the approximately 72,000 tons of skipjack tuna landed at MIFCO in the Maldives annually, more than one billion rufiyaa is spent on subsidies.
He questioned how they would spend on the infrastructural needs of the fishing industry.
